How to secure your home when you're on vacation

This entry was posted on January 27, 2017 by Lauren Raffa.

While most of us relish the summer months to venture on holidays and trips with family and friends, burglars also delight in these typical holiday months. Follow these important tips on how to secure your home when you're on vacation, so you can holiday with peace of mind.

Household burglary is one of the most widespread crimes in Australia, with around 335,700 invasions recorded in 2010.

Securing your home, whether you're away for an extended period of time, or leaving the home just for a few minutes, could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars, and a significant amount of stress.

Light, time and noise are the homeowners greatest weapons against home burglary, according to The III.

They offer these tips to keep your home secure:

Examine your house from the street, and make sure no expensive valuables like electronics or artwork are visible from the outside. If you can see things of value...so can criminals!

Lock and fasten all the doors and windows. Doors should have deadbolt locks with a one-inch throw and reinforced strike plates.

Secure sliding doors. Place a metal rod or piece of plywood in the track to prevent an intruder from forcing the door open.

Always lock the door attached to your garage, if you have one.

Make it appear that you're home, use timers on lights, radios and televisions.

Keep the perimeter of your home well-lit. You can do this by installing low-voltage outdoor lighting.

Never leave clues that you're away. Ask your neighbours to collect your mail and newspapers, or ask them to be held. You could also ask your neighbour to park one of their cars in your own driveway for the interim.

Keep some shades or blinds up to keep up appearances that someone's home.

Trim the garden near your home's entry point or front garden. This could prevent would-be intruders from hiding in foliage near the home.

Organise or join a community neighbourhood watch program.

If you have a home security system, make sure it is obviously activated before you go on holidays.

All these tips are great ideas to help keep your home secure, so that you can enjoy time away from your home without having to worry.